Compiled by C. ARUNO, PANG SHIANG YIH and R. ARAVINTHAN

       FOR the past 12 years, six families in a village in Kedah have had to use untreated water from a well, Utusan Malaysia reported.

       The villagers from Kg Bendang Darat in Bongor claimed that they had no choice but to do so as the water supply from the authorities could not reach them because of low water pressure in the area.

       Ahmad Nasir Hamzah, 50, said that he had spent about RM1,000 on pipes, water pumps, and tanks to get water supply from an old well located about 200m from his house.

       Previously, he used to get clean water from the water authorities but the supply was irregular, he said, adding that he ended up having to pay for the monthly bill despite not getting any water.

       “As a result, the villagers and I decided not to get the supply from the water authorities any more. Instead, we used our own funds to install pipes to get water from the well.

       “Although the water is muddy and untreated, my family has no other choice,” he added.

       Another resident, Sulaiman Yusuf, 63, said that he had to share a well with his neighbour.

       He said they had to be prudent about water usage especially during the hot season.

       > Singer Elyana will have to undergo chemotherapy despite being in remission from stage four lymphoma cancer for two months.

       “The latest report showed that there are no more cancer cells. But I still need to be cautious as the cancer cells may return,” Berita Harian quoted her as saying.

       Elyana, 35, said she would need about four rounds of chemotherapy followed by a transplant.

       The mother of two said she was determined to stay strong for her children.

       Elyana, whose full name is Erneelya Elyana Emrizal, has been suffering from the disease for 11 years.

       She said she was stunned when the doctor told her that she was cancer-free.

       “My husband was with me then. We looked at each other. I still feel like it is a dream,” she said.

       Prior to this, she had often hoped to make a full recovery.

       “So it is always in my heart not to be too hopeful.

       “I merely pray to have the strength to continue with life,” she said.

       She said the news from the doctor had inspired her.

       “People say that there is a rainbow after each test. It has always been my dream, my prayer, that I would live long to see my children grow up.”

       The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.